


A Father's Mistake

by Rainbow_Transform



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur is a sweetheart, Everything Will Be Explained, Gen, LATER, POV Uther Pendragon, Uther is different, Written for 10 year anniversary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 00:45:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16051976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbow_Transform/pseuds/Rainbow_Transform
Summary: When Arthur is four, he presses his face against the throne room windows and when asked, he smiles and tells Uther dreamily “He’s out there.”“Who?”“My other half.”And Uther makes a note to fire his nursemaid for putting those stupid thoughts into his son’s head. A boy? Arthur’s other half? Arthur is not gay.“You can’t date a boy, Arthur,” Uther tries to break gently. Arthur frowns. “Who said anything about dating him?” He asked.“He’s my p-p-pla-toooon-ic half!” Arthur looks proud of his new word, and Uther makes another note to give Arthur another lesson in finding and sounding out words.





	A Father's Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> It is a very short story, I didn't realize that it was Merlin's ten years! So, I know it's kinda rushed, but ya know ya girl's gotta have something rushing.
> 
> Enjoy! 
> 
> (I don't own anything)

A baby with straw-blond hair shrieks in the night — just as the father kisses the mother. “He’s beautiful,” the father mumbles.

 

“Uther…”  the mother breaths quickly. “Uther, I’m… I’m dying.”

 

“What? Ygraine, no. It’s Arthur, Ygraine.”

 

Ygraine’s lifeline cuts, just as Arthur’s second shriek fills the air. 

 

The Gods stare above, and say nothing as Uther Pendragon rages.  _ “He chose his path,” _ they remark.  _ “Now he must live with the consequences.” _

* * *

 

Of course, Uther blames everything  _ except  _ himself for his wife’s death. Her for being weak, his son for being too hard; eventually he settled on  _ magic. _

 

“Magic killed my wife!  _ You _ killed my wife!” Uther rages and Nimueh sighs. “Uther, my King,” she says —ever the loyal servant— “I told you, sire, all magic comes with a price. I warned you of the consequence. For a life, a life must be taken. Baltimore, don’t you agree?”

 

The Dragonlord steps forward. “Sire,” he says. “We have all warned you. Magic comes with a very high price for a life.”

 

_ “She should have lived!” _ Uther shrieked. 

 

“Uther,” Balinor steps forward, closes to the King and Queen. “You know, sire, that you can’t have been blind. You must have seen the signs. Fatigue, blood lost, sleeping in more and more. Arthur, bless the child, drained his own mother’s energy and soul in order to survive. That is the cost of magic, my King.”

 

“Are you saying my son is a murderer?” Uther roars.

 

“No!” A witch, Ellis, screams. “ _ You _ are the murderer! Using  _ magic? _ For a  _ heir? _ Why not naturally?”

 

Uther didn’t answer, instead he declared a war on all magic—to stomp it into the ground, burn it to ash, and then dump the ash into the ocean. As if that will make up for what he’d done to his wife.

* * *

 

Arthur grows, and learns, and he asks the dreaded question one day: “Why don’t I have a mother?”

 

“Your mother died a long time ago, Arthur,” Uther replies. 

 

“What’s that?”

 

“What?”

 

“Death?”

 

Uther pauses. “Go ask Gaius.” He says.

* * *

 

Arthur grows, learns, and doesn’t question about his mother anymore. Uther learn why years later—the servants who’d served her tell stories of her to Arthur.

 

He fires them, anger growing in the pit of his stomach, and he decided to go after the druids camping right out of Camelot’s borders. 

 

He flings himself into his work, keeps away from Arthur’s questions, and takes a girl, Morgana, under his wing.

 

Morgana—his daughter, his ward, his second child—is a breath of fresh air while Arthur is stuffy.

* * *

 

When Arthur is four, he presses his face against the throne room windows and when asked, he smiles and tells Uther dreamily “He’s out there.”

 

“Who?”

 

“My other half.”

 

And Uther makes a note to fire his nursemaid for putting those stupid thoughts into his son’s head. A boy? Arthur’s other half?  _ Arthur is not gay. _

 

“You can’t date a boy, Arthur,” Uther tries to break gently. Arthur frowns. “Who said anything about dating him?” He asked.

 

“He’s my  _ p-p-pla-toooon-ic _ half!” Arthur looks proud of his new word, and Uther makes another note to give Arthur another lesson in finding and sounding out words.

* * *

 

Arthur isn’t different from the other boys, Uther knows. He’s doing just what boys do—and that’s fine. 

 

Just until Arthur pauses and gives the brightest grin Uther’s ever seen. He drops his sword—the knight pauses and frowns—and runs off the field. Uther looks out toward where he’s going and it’s the peasants’ land.

 

“Arthur!” He barks, and the guards chase after the boy, shouting “Sire, sire let us accompany you!”

 

“He won’t hurt me!” Arthur declares back, and Uther’s bones rattle, and his breaths feel cold and his knees shake but he’s a King, and Kings don’t  _ shiver. _

* * *

 

When Uther and the guards catch up to Arthur, he’s sitting there with a black-haired boy. 

 

“Father, this is Merlin.” Arthur says, proudly. “He’s my other half.”

 

“One side of a coin,” Merlin echoes, like they practiced it.

 

And Uther’s blood runs cold.

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, in the end, Uther realizes that if Arthur and Merlin are together, then hah ya know they gonna run the world. And magic's gonna reign free, just like it did before Uther made his own mistake. That bitch.
> 
> HAPPY TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY, MY DEAR READERS FOR MERLIN. I LOVE THAT SHOW, AND I HOPE THEY DO A MODERN ONE SOON, USING EVERYONE AS "REINCARNATED" OR JUST BROUGHT BACK


End file.
